The need for lightweight, low cost electromagnetic radiation reflectors continues to increase because of advances in radio communications and solar energy collector applications. In the past, in order to satisfy this need, lightweight reflectors have been manufactured using thermoplastic resins, such as clear acrylic. These plastic reflectors are typically produced by thermoforming a substantially flat sheet of plastic to the desired shape and then vapor depositing a layer of reflective metallization on one side of the sheet. A suitable coating or other lightweight, structurally reinforcing material is then applied over the layer of metallization to provide the reflector with rigidity and protectively sandwich the layer of metallization so as to avoid damage thereto.
The prior process is effective in providing a high quality product but is somewhat undersirable in that a number of processing steps must be performed over a period of time, i.e. molding the plastic to the desired shape, metallizing one surface of the plastic, applying a protective coating over the metallization, etc.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved, more efficient process for producing a lightweight radiant energy reflector which avoids the deficiencies of the prior process discussed above.
Another object of the invention is to provide a radiant energy reflector produced by a process which requires substantially less time and labor compared to the prior art.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a process for producing a radiant energy reflector of the type described above which permits the formation of a reflective layer substantially simultaneous with the forming of the thermoplastic, protective sheet.
These and further objects of the invention will be made clear or will become apparent during the course of the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention.